Senate releases CCTV footage showing Ruby Tuason's visits

by Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News

MANILA - The Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) has released the CCTV footage that showed who appears to be Ruby Tuason visiting the Senate on at least three occasions in the last quarter of 2008.

It was during that time that Tuason claimed to have visited the office of Senator Jinngoy Estrada to allegedly deliver money that she said were kickbacks from pork barrel projects.

In his report to the Senate President, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Jose V. Balajadia Jr. said that a lady resembling Tuason was seen on November 17, 2008 walking along the Senate main lobby at past 5:00 p.m. and walked away from the sixth floor elevator around 12 minutes later.

The lady was again seen on the CCTV footage taken on November 19, 2008 exiting the 6th floor elevator at 2:33 p.m. and leaving the Senate using the main lobby more than two hours later at 4:49 p.m.

She was again seen on the December 18, 2008 footage approaching the ground floor main lobby at 3:42 p.m., securing an ID at the OSAA station at the ground floor and walking away from the sixth floor elevator at 3:45 p.m. She was carrying a shoulder bag.

It is on the sixth floor of the Senate building where the Senate president, Senate president pro-tempore, majority and minority leaders hold office.

Estrada was Senate president pro-tempore at the time.

The clips are part of the OSAA’s initial report in compliance with the order of the Blue Ribbon committee investigating the pork barrel scam.

Estrada also requested the review of the CCTV footage.

It could not be concluded from the video which office or offices Tuason visited or what the bag she was carrying contained.